Wire packaging apparatus



Jan. 21, 1969 J. .1. KANE ETAL WIRE, PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed April 26,1967 I N VE N TOR-3 I P-a Jo/m Kane James P. Conncr United States Patent2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for feeding wire coilloops onto a wire carrier including means for supporting the wire loopsemerging from a wire coiling machine.

Background of the invention This invention relates generally to wireprocessing machines :and more particularly to forming neat, compactpackages of wire.

The loops or turns of wire produced by a wire coiling machine associatedwith a wire processing apparatus are deposited on a stationary takeupblock by the coiling device which comprises a rotating winding head orflyer. The wire coil loops are pushed off the takeup block by thesubsequent convolutions laid thereon by the coiling device and onto acoil transfer device which directs the wire coil loops onto a wirecarrier. The takeup block is generally of drum-like construction havinga flange and a tapered or frusto-conical outerface which extendsoutwardly therefrom and is inclined slightly downwardly toward thedischarge end of the block. The upper end of the takeup block isprovided with a fillet between the flange and the tapered outerface. Thewinding head or flyer successively lays loops or turns of wire into thisfillet and the incoming wire loop crowds in between the last woundconvolution of the wire and the flange forcing the previously woundloops axially along the tapered outer face of the drum away from theflange and onto a coil transfer horn which directs the loops downwardlyonto a wire carrier to form the wire package.

The friction between the coiled loops of wire and the upper surface ofthe coil transfer horn results in momentary hanging up of a few loopsand the subsequent sudden release thereof results in irregular pay-off.The formation of a neat uniform package of wire on the carrier as it isdeposited thereon from the coil transfer device is impossible underthese circumstances. The desirability of a uniform package is well knownin the industry and includes appearance, to enhance salability, as wellas uniformity of lay, which is perhaps most important to the customersince it is essential to proper pay-off characteristics.

Summary of the invention It is therefore an object of this invention toprovide means for successively feeding wire coil lOOps from a coilingapparatus to a wire carrier at a uniform rate.

It is a further object of this invention to provide means for supportingand guiding the wire coil loops at their lower ends as they aredischarged from the coiling machine.

The instant invention provides a U-shaped guide for supporting the wirecoil loops emerging from the coiling machine at their lower ends so asto eliminate frictional contact of the loops and the top or uppersurface of the coil transfer horn.

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of thewire packaging apparatus showing the application of the invention.

Patented Jan. 21, 1969 "ice FIGURE 2 is a view of a portion of theapparatus of FIG. 1 shown partly in section.

FIGURE 3 is a view of the apparatus taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring to the drawings, thewire packaging apparatus of the instant invention is seen to comprise,wire coiling machine 1, stationary takeup block 2, rigid coil transferhorn 3, and wire carrier 4. The rotating winding head 5 of the wirecoiling machine 1 deposits coils of wire on the drum-like takeup block 2at the radius 7 between flange 8 of the takeup block 2 and tapered orinclined sur face 9 thereof. Successive lays of coil push the previouslywound coils axially along the surface of said takeup block onto theupper surface of the rigid transfer horn 3 which directs the coil loops12 downwardly onto a waiting rotating wire carrier.

The instant invention provides means to guide and support the wire coilloops 12 out of contact with the upper surface of the coil transfer horn3, comprising a U-shaped rod 10, the ends of which are secured to thecoiling machine housing 11, sloping downwardly slightly at a convenientangle selected by the operator. The U-shaped rod 10 thus supports eachwire coil loop 12 at two points 6 (see FIG. 3), as it emerges from thecoiling machine, as opposed to the prior art means of supporting the topof the coil loops over a considerable length of arc of the upper curvedsurface of the transfer horn 3. The support of the wire coil loops 12 attwo points near the bottom thereof thus lifts the top of the coil loopfree from the upper surface of the coil transfer horn 3. The loops fallforward freely and uniformly without hanging up.

In the pictured embodiment a soft wire rod is used to form the U-shapedguide rod 10. It is clear, however, that this guide might consist ofother materials and take a variety of shapes and/ or forms withoutdetracting from the scope and spirit of the invention.

Thus, the point contact support of the coil loops at the bottomeliminates the frictional contact of the top of the coil loop with thetop surface of the coil transfer horn and provides simple, inexpensivemeans for assuring uniform delivery of the coil loops to the wirecarrier resulting in a neat, compact package.

We claim::

1. In a wire packaging apparatus having a coiling machine for formingwire coils, a drum-like takeup block for receiving said wire coilshaving a tapered portion extending outwardly from said coiling machine,a coil transfer device with a coil carrying upper surface to receivecoils continuously deposited thereon from said takeup block, a wirecarrier to receive said wire delivered thereon by said coil transferdevice, the improvement comprising:

means positioned under at least a portion of said coils to guide andsupport said coils out of contact with said upper surface of said coiltransfer device, said means being secured to said coiling machine belowsaid coil transfer device and extending therealong.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said guide means comprises aU-shaped rod.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,703,686 3/1955 Bell 242822,863,615 12/1958 Kenmore et a1. 242-83 3,241,786 3/1966 Bittman 24283FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

NATHAN L. MlNTZ, Assistant Examiner.

